Air-brake-operating mechanism.



-w. c. 'RENSHAW. AIR @RAKE O-PEgATIN MECHANISM.

prucmou FILED was. ms. Q

- Patented 1%. 20

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. w: c. REANSHA'W. v AIR BRAKE OPERATING ME'CHANISM APPLICATION HLE DAPR- 3. 1915'.

'Patentgad Feb. 20,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT v.rron; I

WILLIAM C. RENSHAW, 0F MANNINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

AIR-BRAKE-GPERATIN G IVIECHAN ISM.

Application filed April 3, 1-915. Serial N 0. 18,927.

means for applying the brakes of-a railway car in case the car shouldjump the track and the principal object of the invention is to provideimproved means for exhausting the air from the pipe line forming part.of the standard air brake system used upon railway trains. Anotherobject of the invention is to so construct this mechanism that the samemay be caused to operate no matter Whichtruck jumps the .track and alsono matter in which direction it moves.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the mechanismreferred to that the tappets forming part of the same will be moved to asafe position after first engaging the railsor ties to set the mechanismin operation.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the same that it maybe readily applied to air-brake systems of the standard type now usedthus making it unnecessary to have any particular type of air-brakesystem in order to apply the device to cars already in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will hecompara tively simple in construction and easy to operate and to alsoprovide one which will not readily get out of order or need repair.

This invention is illustrated panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is aview showing the operating mechanism applied to a car, part of theairbrake system being removed for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a view showinga car in bottom plan'with the operatingmechanism connected with an air-brake system representing a standardtype of air-brake system.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a r portion of the operatingmechanism.

Fig. leis a sectional view take-n along the line 4.4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the tappets forming part of thisinvention.

The CHI Sl'lUWD in Figs. 1 and) f:- L freight Specification of LettersPatent.

in the accom-' .zle 20 of the cylinder Patented Feb. 20, 1917..

car but it is understood that this simply represents any car desired andthat it may be either the freight coach, a tank car or any other typeofcar. This car is provided with the trucks 11 and 12 which will. be ofthe standard construction and are only designated in general in theviewswithout regard to any special detailed construction. is also of thestandard auxiliary air reservoir 14, the brake cylinder 15, the pipeline 16 connecting the auxiliary air reservoir with the brake'cylinderand the air pipes 17 and 18. It will of course he understood that theair-brake system thus far described is not shown in complete detailedconstruction but is'simply designated in general in order to show therelation of the operating mechanism to be hereinafter described to thestandard air-brake system.

It very often happens that a truck will jump the track, in which case itis necessary that the brakes be applied as soon. as possible. As ageneral rule it is necessary for the engineer or the conductor to turnthe proper valve in order to exhaust the air from the train line of thecars and as this takes time the mechanism forming the; subject matter ofthis invention has 'been provided. With the mechanism provided as soonas the truck leaves the track the tappets forming part of the same Willengage the rails or ties and will move to a position causing thei'i'iechanism to be thrown 'into operation as will be hcreinafterbroughtoutin I detail.

The pipe 1.) which will be known herea-fter'hs a drain pipe leads fromthe pipe 17 car shown or a passenger The air-brake system, type andincludes the brake beams 13' carried by the trucks, the.

'and communicates with the spout or noz 21 formlng part of this systemand which will be hereafter known as the main cylinder. Thecylinder 22which will be known hereafter as the auxiliary cylinder is connectedmain cylinder by means of the conduit pipe 23. From an inspection ofFig. 3 it will be readily seen that air entering the main cylv inder 21may pass through the conduit 23 into the auxiliary cylinder 22 from"which it will pass through the outlet 24:. Referring to this Fig. 3 itwill also be seen that pistons 24') and 26 are slidably mounted inthecylinders 21 and 22 respectively and are pro-" vided with rods 27 and 28which pass out through the heads 2% and 30 of the cylin- .with theair-brake system cannot move the he rotated I permit a part of the ders.In order to permit be returnechto its normal posit on there has beenprovided a spring 31 positioned about the piston rod 27 between thepiston and the abutment disk which disk is adjustably mounted in thecylinder by means of thethreaded engagement withthe cylinder. In orderto permit the. diskto and thereby adjusted in the cylinder, recesses 33have" been provided to wrench provided with teeth to engage the disk. Itshould be noted that the piston is providedwith an extension or globularknobv forming a valve head 3.4. which fits into the valve seat at theinner end of. the passage-way formed in the nozzle 20 and that thereforewhen the valve is in place the air'in the pipe line forming the pistonin the cylinder 21 againstthe tension of the spring 31. i

The lovers 3%, 37, 3S and 39 which form mechanism to he hereinafterknown as actuating mechanism for the initial starting of the pistons arepivotally supported: by means of the hanger brackets 10 and arepivotally connected at their outer ends with the eyes d1 of the tappets4L2, 4&3, i4; and These tappets are positioned between the wheels of thetruck as shown in [*ig. 1 and it will thus be seen that when the truckjumps the track one or more of in Fig. 1. Links 50 and 51 are thetappets will engage the rails or ties or other part of the road bed andthus swing the levers to rock either the rocker bar 4th These rockerbars 41:6 and 47 are 'i'o tatably mounted in the bearings lS and areprovided with arms l9, carrying pins slidably mounted in the slotsformedfin the inner end portions of the levers as shown pivotallyconnected with the arms carried-by the rocker shafts 4d) and at? so thatwhen the links are. moved longitudinally-these rocker shafts will berotated to raise or lower the tappets according to the the rocker shaftsmove. The actuating leverly bearings 54 and has one end portionconnected with the inner end of the draw bar 50. T he opposite endportion is provided with longitudinally extending slots and 56 so thatthe piston rods 27 and 28 may be connected with actuating lever 53 bymeans of the pins 57. It is necessary that the opening 58 through whichthese pins pass pivot 5 1 snfiicieut play will be given to preventbinding From an inspection of Fig. 3 it will be noted that the pistonrod 27 extends beyond the actuating lever 53 and from an inspection ofFig. 2 it will be seen that the inner end of the link 51 is connectedwith the extended eudof this piston rod the piston 25 toton rods 27 anddirection in which be elongated so that when the actuatin lever moves umn its,

manner.

27. Therefore when the actuating lever is moved the links 50 and and thepis- 255 are also moved.

The operation. of this mechanism is very simple and is as follows. Thecars forming the train are connected in the usual manner and the pipes17 and 18 On adjoining cars are also coupled in the 'usualm'anner thuspermitting the airfrom the main storage tanks of the standard air-brakesystem to pass through the system and of course fill the auxiliary airreservoir of the car. When the train is running in the usual manner thismechanism will remain inactive but if one of the trucks should jump thetrack-one or both of the tappetscarried thereby will be raised byengagement with the rail or with one of the ties thus rock-ing'the levercarrying the tappetandthrough the medium of this lever will rotate therocker shaftwith which it is connected. Since each of the rocker shaftsis connected with the actuating lever the lever will be moved afcertainamount thus drawing upon-the pistons 27 and 28. It has already beenpointed out that under normal circumstances'thevalve head 3e will beseated upon the valve seat 35 and therefore the air in the pipe 19 andagainst the tension (of the spring 31. As soon,- however, as theactuating lever is moved to draw the piston rods 27 and 28 outwardly thevalve head will be moved out of engagement with the seat pressed airwill enter the cylinder 21 and will move the pistons longitudinally inthe cylinder until the entrance to the pipe 23 is uncovered. In order toprevent an air cushion from being formed in the cylinder 21 and thuspreventing the piston from moving properly there is provided a vent 58through v which the air in the cylinder may pass when the piston movestoward the head 29. \Vhcn the pistons are moved toward the heads 2 and30, the air passing out of pipe 1.9 will first enter cylinder 21 to actupon piston 25 and will then pass through pipe cylinder '22 where itwill act upon the piston 26 and move the same through the cylinder'lherefore both the piston 25 and'the piston 26 will be movedsimultaneously after 35 and the com- 23 into :the I he air enters thecylinder and therefore the actuating lever will be'swung rapidly thusrotating the rocker shafts 46 and 47 and swinging the levers v draw thetappets upwardly thus preventing them frombeing broken. All of thisoperation will be completed Within a very short space of time and assoon as thepiston 26 moves past theoutlet 24 the air. will be ex haustedfrom the air-brake system and the brakes will. then be applied in the.usual Since-this mechanism is only to be operated in case a car jumpsthe track it 36, 37, 3S and 39 to will be readily seen that thisideviceis an 3 I emergency device and that therefore it will outlet24= thesprings 31 will then return the Will not. pass through piston to itsnormal position and since the piston 28 is connected withthe actuatinglever 53 with which the piston 27 is connected the piston 26 will alsobe returned to its normal position. In "order to prevent the danger ofair accumulating in the pipe 23 and preventing the piston 26 from movingto the position shown in Fig. 3 the small opening 59 is provided. Itshould be noted that the opening 59 is so small that the air the samerapidly enough to prevent the piston 26 from being moved to open outlet24. It should also be noted that any other suitable type of outlet couldbe substituted for mal :position the air-brake system can be againfilled with airand Will for use after the cars have upon the track.

again be ready I been put back I have therefore provided a mechanismautomatically applying the brakes to a car in case the trucks jump thetrack, the de- Vice being so constructed that it will operate veryeificiently and very rapidly and being also so constructed that thetappets after first engaging the rail or tie will be drawn upwardly outof the Way and thus prevented from being broken or otherwise injured.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with an air-brake system of anexhaust device comprising a plurality of cylinders, one of saidcylinders communicating with said air-brake system and the secondcylinder communicating with said first mentioned cylinder, pistonsslidably mounted in said cylinders and controlling the passage of airthrough the same, actuating means connected with said pistons, and meansfor yieldably holding said pistons in a normal position.

' 2. The combination with an air-brake system of an exhausting deviceincluding a plurality 'of communicating cylinders, one of said cylinderscommunicating with the air brake system, means for controlling thepassage of air through said cylinders. means for yieldably holding saidcontrolling means in a set position, operating means connected with saidcontrolling means, and actuating means for said operating means moved toan operative position by engagement with the right of way'over which atrain passes.

3. The combination with an air-brake system of exhausting meansincluding acylinder communicating with said system, a second cylindercommunicating with said first mentioned cylinder, 'pistons in saidshafts, one ofsaid the outlet shown. After the pistons have returned tothe norcylinder for yieldably holding system of exhausting meansincluding-controlling pistons, piston rbds extending from said pistons,a lever having one end portion connected with said pistons, rockershafts, links pivotally connected withsaid rocker links being connectedwith one of'said' piston rods and the other of said links beingpivotally connected with said lever, arms carried by said rocker shaftsand pivo'tally connected with saidlinks, tappets, levers having theirouter end 1 portions connected with said tappets, and arms carried bysaid rocker shafts and connected with the inner'end portions of saidlevers. a

5.- An air-brake system exhausting mechanism including cylinders,pistons slidably mounted in said cylinders, piston rods extending fromsaid pistons through said cylinders, an actuating lever connected Withsaid piston rods, rocker shafts, ally connected with said rocker shafts.and with said lever, pivotally mounted levers, arms extending from saidrocker shafts and and tappets connected ally mounted levers.

6. l he ,combination With an .alr-brake system of a main cylindercommunicatingwith one of the pipes of said air-brake systom and providedwith a valve seat at its. inner end, a piston slidably mounted'in saidcylinder and provided at one end With a reduced extension forming avalve head engaging said valve seat when said piston is in a normalposition, a piston rod extending from said piston through said cylinder,an abutment surrounding said piston rod within said cylinder andadjifstably en'- gaging the walls of said cylinder, a' spring positionedabout said piston rod between said piston and abut1nent,.an auxiliarycylinder, a conduit leading from said auxiliary cylinder andcommunicating with said main cylinder and having its inlet end closed bysaid piston when the piston is in the normal position, a piston slidablymounted in said auxiliary cylinder and closing an outlet for saidauxiliary cylinder when in a normal position, a piston rod extendingfrom the piston of said auxiliary cylinder, an actuating lever connectedwith the outer ends of said piston rods, and means said actuating leverto move said cylinders and move sald with said for moving said pistonsin valve ead out of engagement 4. The combination \vith an air-brakesystem of a main cylinder communicating with said air-brake system andprovided with an outlet and having its inlet provided with a valve seat,a piston slidahly mounted in said main cylinder'andprovided with arelatively small valve head, a piston rod extending from said. pistonthrough said cylinder resilient means yieldahly holding said piston 111a normal position to close the outlet of said cylinder and hold saidvalve head-in engagement with said, valve'seat, an-auxiliary cylindercommunieatlng with the outlet of said main cyllnder and pro- I leversufiicient gmlesa a piston slidably mounted in said auxiliary cylinderand closing the outlet thereof When in a normal position, a piston rodextending from said last mentioned piston through said auxiliarycylinder; an actuating lever connected with said piston rods, and meansfor giving said movement to move said pistons in said cylinders and movesaid valve head out of engagement With said valve seat.

In testimony in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM G. BENSHAW.

Witnesses: I

G. EVERETT LANCASTER, Ross J'. WooDW'ARn;

vided with an outlet,

whereof I afiix my signature

